Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brooklyn, NY and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $33,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

216

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,437

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brooklyn, NY and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brooklyn, NY and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,437 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $4,437
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $6,601 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $6,601
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $8,766 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $8,766
Budapest $3,489

Brooklyn, NY costs about 174% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brooklyn, NY and Budapest sit above the global median – Brooklyn, NY by 231%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.72 $19.72

$13.99 Ft 4,551

40.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 $106

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

75.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$9.96 Ft 3,241

19.98%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$3.38 Ft 1,100

67.16%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.13 Ft 692

19.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.87 Ft 608

19.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 $8.10

$3.75 Ft 1,221

116.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.81 $8.81

$3.57 Ft 1,162

146.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.13 Ft 368

48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.84 Ft 599

155.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.28 $7.28

$2.39 Ft 777

204.60%

Eggs

$6.48 $6.48

$3.83 Ft 1,245

69.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 $16.24

$11.33 Ft 3,686

43.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.15 $17.15

$6.74 Ft 2,192

154.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.76 $19.76

$14.69 Ft 4,780

34.51%

Apples (1kg)

$8.10 $8.10

$1.84 Ft 597

340.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.01 Ft 653

89.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$2.36 Ft 767

127.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.77 Ft 1,226

55.70%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$0.96 Ft 313

317.71%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.03 Ft 334

364.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.56 Ft 509

64.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.66 Ft 216

274.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.90 $14.90

$7.96 Ft 2,591

87.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.71 $20.71

$6.01 Ft 1,954

244.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.30 Ft 421

103.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.08 Ft 676

62.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.50 Ft 489

104.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$151 $151

$27.61 Ft 8,982

447.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-7.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.30 Ft 424

69.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.16 $42.16

$19.78 Ft 6,436

113.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.81 Ft 591

-36.46%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.0K $35.0K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

19.36%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-25.20%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$244 $244

$170 Ft 55.3K

43.53%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$61.5 $61.5

$23.98 Ft 7,802

156.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 $61.2

$23.42 Ft 7,621

161.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$107 $107

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

60.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.20 $35.20

$19.18 Ft 6,239

83.52%

Cinema Ticket

$20.29 $20.29

$9.52 Ft 3,098

113.13%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,646 $2,646

$537 Ft 174.6K

392.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.3K $34.3K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

106.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 $70.0

$101 Ft 33.0K

-30.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.4 $76.4

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

77.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$113 Ft 36.7K

5.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$119 Ft 38.6K

3.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,711 $3,711

$805 Ft 262.0K

360.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,694 $2,694

$629 Ft 204.7K

328.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,368 $7,368

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

375.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,813 $4,813

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

312.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K $13.4K

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

139.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,757 $7,757

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

95.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,661 $3,661

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

125.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.43

3.73%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Brooklyn, NY

$2.7K 60.6%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 76.6% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Brooklyn, NY

$550 12.4%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 53.1% $292

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brooklyn, NY

$367 8.2%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 40.7% $149

Eating Out

Brooklyn, NY

$339 7.6%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 33.8% $114

Getting Around

Brooklyn, NY

$177 4%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 75.5% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Brooklyn, NY

$175 3.9%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 3.1% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Brooklyn, NY

$147 3.3%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 42.1% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,711 in Brooklyn, NY versus $805 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 125% higher in Brooklyn, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Brooklyn, NY versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $550 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

01:07 1:07 AM

07:07 7:07 AM

6 h ahead of Brooklyn, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,736,074

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Brooklyn, NY Budapest 7,010 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Brooklyn, NY
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Brooklyn, NY vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY, $1,621 in Budapest – roughly 174% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,655 per month in Brooklyn, NY and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Brooklyn, NY and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY and $1,621 in Budapest. That's a gap of about 174%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in Brooklyn, NY at $4,437. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brooklyn, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Brooklyn, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,621 in Budapest to $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brooklyn, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.